The Golden Days
by JadedNobody
Summary: We know about the story of the current Team 7. We know about Kakashi's team 7. We know about the Sannin's Team 7. What about Minato's team 7?


Naruto Uzumaki was slurping down his tenth bowl of ramen. The rest of team 7 calmly ate, desensitized to the blonde's atrocious table manners. Teuchi couldn't help but chuckle still at the scene.

Kakashi Hatake, one of the S-class joy in the village could boast, looked towards his other two students. Sasuke and Sakura each had only a single bowl. They enjoyed tasting Ichiraku's legitimately good food. Not that they would advertise it too much for Naruto to hear.

"Alright Team 7," Kakashi drew the attention of his students. Naruto pulled the brakes hard on his eating to look. "Now we have a new mission-"

"What rank?"

"C rank," Kakashi sighed. Naruto started openly cheering.

"Naruto shut up before Kakashi takes it away," Naruto fell mum. However, Sakura was relieved to not being doing glorified chores too.

"What's our assignment?" Sasuke hoped to receive a challenge. He knew it probably wouldn't morph into another A-rank but it could be useful training.

"We are providing security for a wedding. The clients want to get married out in the open. For the safety of their guess they hired Konoha nin."

"What a wedding!" Naruto jubilance morphed to disappointment.

"Naruto," Sakura added some sugar to her voice. "Do you know what will be at a wedding?"

"No?" He had never been to a wedding or had any relatives to tell him about one.

"Cake. Really really big cake." She stretches her arms out for emphasis.

"Really!?"

"Yup," Sasuke chipped in.

"Awesome when are we going," Naruto looked to Kakashi.

"Now." Kakashi sampled some his broth.

"So soon?" Sasuke didn't think this would be a hard mission, just watching out for bandits and dealing with inevitable drunk guests, but ninja usually had time to prepare before leaving for a mission.

"Ninja aren't always given prep time. Sometimes, especially during the war, they have to take off immediately with whatever they have. Time is too fleeting. So we will take off for the village gates to go."

"Alright I'm done. I'll wait there," Naruto sped off. His team were left literally eating his dust trail. Then Sasuke realized the blonde left about twenty unpaid bowls behind.

"We'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble." He grabbed a blushing Sakura by the hand and fled. Kakashi was so impressed that Sasuke kept Sakura in mind he let himself be saddled with the check.

Teuchi laughed behind the counter.

"Don't worry. I'll run a tab and charge the kids next time they are here."

"I'll pay it. Naruto didn't mean to do this, and Sasuke finally kept someone else in mind." His wallet felt so betrayed.

"You know I remember when my team 7 got C-ranks. Minato was pleased as he interpreted it as a gesture of faith from Jiraya sensei. Mikoto was just pleased to not be doing chores like the pink haired girl. I didn't really mind either way."

"Your finally bringing it up," Kakashi was surprised.

"Please. An old ramen chef is just telling a story from his youth. I have plenty of them."

"Eh, why don't you tell me a few. I have two hours to burn."

"Okay, so it was the day of team selections….."

—

The academy was buzzing with eager students. Today was the day they became ninjas. They would start their legends. Many of them chatted amongst themselves wondering who would be on their team.

Minato Namikaze sat humming to himself. The rookie of the year had jounin fighting behind the scenes to teach him. Jiraya called him the most obvious legend in the making. He knew the disciple of the third would be his sensei. His teammates were still a mystery.

"My team will be superior to yours. I pity the poor ninja that will he weighed down by savages." Minato turned his head away. Mikoto was having another one of her moments. In her defense Hyuga and Uchiha did have a grudge.

"Anyone who ends up on Mikoto's team better be prepared to handle her Uchiha pride," the kid who sat next to him said.

"She is a great ninja Teuchi. Her skills will be invaluable to her team."

"Yeah but she is very elitist." The quiet pudgy boy said.

"As long as she can back it up," Minato shrugged.

The instructor walked in. The whole class snapped to their seats. He banged an eraser against the board for attention.

"Alright-"

"I'm here!" Kushina Uzumaki ran in. She hurried to her seat.

"As if we wouldn't notice Kushina." The class laughed at a boiling Kushina.

"Now as for teams. As of today you are all genin. However you must demonstrate the talent to earn a Jounin instructor. You will each be placed in teams of three under a tentative jounin sensei. You must all pass as a team to keep your sensei. Those who fail will he sent to the genin corps, success is still possible but will be harder." He allowed a moment of silence to pass. The class stiffened in anxiety.

"You must work together. I don't care if you say you don't like your team. You no longer have the right to be petty children. You are ninja act like it." Various students slumped over as if on trial.

The instructor began reading teams. Minato began to guess which ones would pass. Teams with clan members had the odds in their favor. Civilian born students like him needed to demonstrate greater talent than their clan counterparts to have a chance.

Good thing that was never an issue for him. He hit the ground running. His marks were nearly perfect.

"Team 7." Here it was.

"Teuchi Ichiraku, Minato Namikaze, and Mikoto Uchiha under Jounin Jiraya."

The instructor wrapped up quickly after that. He then said his final goodbyes to his class before leaving. Genin erupted from their seats to seek their teammates. Many began to whisper what they had heard about their new senseis.

Teuchi was already sitting next to him so they just had to wait for Mikoto to join.

"Well I'm guaranteed to pass," Teuchi leaned back in his seat to nap.

"You plan to just leech off me?"

"Yup. You have to let me or you don't pass." Well that was true. Teuchi sat back after hearing himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I just meant that since I'm on a team with the next Hokage under a jounin who favors him, my chances of passing are pretty good. There isn't much I can contribute to you anyway," Teuchi rubbed his head.

"Don't worry I'm not offended. Just try you might surprise yourself. Also I doubt I'm good enough to be the next Hokage. It's too early to tell that sort of thing," Teuchi leaned right back.

"So we are going to be on team together! Think Hatake is nice!" Minato hoped Kushina learned to speak softer. It was a fundamental ninja skill to whisper.

"Please make yourself as inconspicuous as possible," Hiashi said.

"Inca-ca" Kushina struggled with the word.

"Quiet," his brother answered.

"The two of us will carry your dead weight. Please in gratitude for saving you from the genin Corp, try to bother us as little as possible." Kushina looked struck. Her trademark temper quickly flared.

"Try not to be such monumental assholes! Try to get the sticks out of your asses!" Kushina marched back to her seat. Minato felt a wave of empathy wash over him. Kushina didn't really have any friends and was generally disliked. True, She didn't make it better with her pranks, trouble making, and temper; she didn't deserve that instant rejection, though, from her teammates.

"Put your focus on a real Kunoichi." Mikoto had made her way over. She gave them each a scan.

"I look forward to being your teammate Minato. Your reputation precedes you," she turned to Teuchi. "You on the other hand I wish weren't on my team. You aren't belligerent but I find you lazy, lack-"

"Keep it to yourself," Teuchi interrupted, but with a smile showing he wasn't wounded. "Let's just try to get along. I promise I'll pull my weight."

"Yeah Mikoto, this can't work unless we are all trying." The Uchiha looked away.

Many jounin came in short order to collect their teams. The ones that came the quickest probably indicated they were throw-away teams. Soon there were only a handful of team waiting. Mikoto was on one side of Minato poised. Teuchi was on the other dozing off.

Kushina was way in the back by herself. She was alone. The twins were sitting together and away from her. This arrangement wasn't unusual for her but the young girl felt crushed this was to continue to her last day too.

"I've heard a few things about Hatake," Minato lowered himself beside the redhead.

"I'm sure you have," Kushina pointedly looked forward.

"Wasn't he stationed at Whirlpool previously," Minato hoped he didn't cross a line.

"Yes. My father actually welcome him into our home to break bread." Before the fire, the screaming, the blood, and the ruin. "I also know him from his visits to the Third. He's held in high regards by the monkey man."

"Right the Hokage's your guardian right?"

The Third had taken a special interest in the Whirlpool refugee from her arrival for some reason. Minato's willing to bet he's the reason she even passed with her lackluster marks. He probably also arranged for her to have teammates that would be politically impossible to fail under a sensei who was fond of her.

"Something like that," she muttered. "But I am his "pet"'right?" Now she looked him in the eyes. That was a popular tease of Kushina.

"I never called you that," he placated. She rested her head back on the desk.

Minato considered saying more before Jiraya finally came. The white haired jounin opened the door, winking at him to beckon him forth. He gave Kushina a quick goodbye before running down to his team. His teammates filed behind him as he poured out the door.


End file.
